Practical
Plants

Dendranthema lavandulifolium

a perennial member of the Dendranthema genus in the family Compositae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Life cycle
perennial
Height
1.5 m
Fertility
Insects
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Insects

Uses

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The following uses are for the closely related D. indica. They quite possibly also apply to this species. The flower heads are pickled in vinegar[16][17][14][15]. Young leaves - cooked[13][14][15]. An aromatic tea is made from the leaves[15]. Seed[15]. No more details are given but it is very small and would be rather fiddly to use. There are no edible uses listed for Dendranthema lavandulifolium.

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The flowers are hypotensive and vasodilator[4]. They have an antibacterial action, inhibiting the growth of Staphylococcus, E. coli, streptococcus, C. diphtheriae, Bacillus dysenteriae[4]. The flowers are used in the treatment of furuncle, scrofula, deep-rooted boils, inflammation of the throat, eyes and cervix, eczema, itchiness of the skin and hypertension[4].

Material uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The following uses are for the closely related D. indicum. They quite possibly also apply to this species. The seed contains about 16% of a semi-drying oil, but no information is given as to its uses[8]. The seed is rather small, commercial extraction is probably not viable[K].

Environment

Range
E. Asia - Northern China, Japan, Korea and Manchuria.
Habitat
Mountain slopes, rocks, river valleys, river banks, wastelands and hilly lands at elvations of 600--2800 metres[10].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
no shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 6+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - sow spring to early summer in a greenhouse and only just cover the seed[7]. It usually germinates in 10 - 18 days at 15°c but if it does not germinate within 4 weeks then try chilling the seed for 3 weeks in the salad compartment of a fridge[3]. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in the summer. Division in spring. Larger clumps can be replanted direct into their permanent positions, though it is best to pot up smaller clumps and grow them on in a cold frame until they are rooting well. Plant them out in the spring.

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Succeeds in most well-drained fertile soils in a sunny position[1][7]. This species is closely related to D. indicum. When bruised, the foliage has a pungent refreshing fragrance that is somewhat lemon-like and reminiscent of chamomile[9].

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

    ↩

  2. Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976-00-00

  3. Bird. R. (Editor) Growing from Seed. Volume 4. Thompson and Morgan. 1990-00-00

    ↩

  4. Yeung. Him-Che. Handbook of Chinese Herbs and Formulas. Institute of Chinese Medicine, Los Angeles 1985-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3

  5. Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984-00-00 ISBN 3874292169

  6. Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9

  7. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2

  8. Chopra. R. N., Nayar. S. L. and Chopra. I. C. Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants (Including the Supplement). Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi. 1986-00-00

    ↩

  9. Genders. R. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale. London. 1994-00-00 ISBN 0-7090-5440-8

    ↩

  10. Flora of China 1994-00-00 http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/

    ↩

  11. Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959-00-00

  12. Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974-00-00 ISBN 0094579202

  13. Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing (1976-00-00)

    ↩

  14. Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books ISBN 3874292169 (1984-00-00)

    ↩1↩2

  15. Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications ISBN 0-9628087-0-9 (1990-00-00)

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  16. Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim (1959-00-00)

    ↩

  17. Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable ISBN 0094579202 (1974-00-00)

    ↩

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